The Federal Police Administration notes a large increase in cases of sexual exploitation of children on the Internet. In the last three weeks, four people were arrested for possession and distribution of child sexual abuse material.
As many as 30 investigations are currently underway. Cyber security experts warn that children are the most vulnerable online, and tell parents that they are the first line of protection.
Parents are the first line of protection, but, unfortunately, often the weakest link. Educations that the Federal Police Administration conducts in primary schools in the area of Sarajevo Canton show an extremely low response. In 25 schools, an average of fifty parents show up, it says FTV.
– For three weeks, we were in four locations and four persons were deprived of their freedom for possessing and sharing material that is part of the sexual abuse of children on the Internet.
I appeal to the parents to talk to the children, so that the police do not come to the door and thus cause a greater shock for the child – says Saša Petrović, head of the Department for Combating Computer Crime of the Federal Police Administration.
The Federal Police Administration emphasizes that they are currently working on at least 30 active cases of sexual exploitation of children. Platforms like Discord and Snapchat have become an ideal space for predators.
– Because they are fairly anonymous platforms where it usually happens that adults impersonate themselves, enter into false communication with children and thus look for their photos, and later blackmail them – says Ana Risović, a psychologist at Blue Phone.
The criminal code of the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina has been tightened. For the first time, it clearly defines psychological abuse, femicide, stalking and luring a child for pornography. Any possession of material depicting minors, even those created by artificial intelligence, is a criminal offence. Another warning to parents:
– If they saw what we see and what all my colleagues and I see on a daily basis, they would not ask for a ban on social networks under the age of 16 but under the age of 21 – says Petrović.
Risović says that it is very important to educate children about the dangers and possibilities of violence in the online world, but also adults – primarily parents and people who are in closest contact with children, in the school system.
But banning the use of social networks alone will not solve the problem, experts emphasize. For the real protection of children, coordinated and constant cooperation between parents, the educational system and institutions is necessary, because only with coordinated action is it possible to suppress online predators and build a safe environment for children, writes Federalna.ba.
(TYPE/Photo: Illustration/Factor)
